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USC's spring practice is done and football is officially over until the first week of August. To bide some of the time from now until then, we're spending this week going over the five biggest things we learned this spring.

Our first is this: The Trojans might have seen their third receiver develop unexpectedly this spring.

Lane Kiffin had an easy answer when he was asked, after Saturday's spring-concluding Spring Game at the Coliseum, if there was any one player who had pleasantly surprised him over the course of the spring.

"De'Von Flournoy," Kiffin said right away.

The answer made sense. With Robert Woods missing all 15 practices with an ankle injury, Flournoy was consistently the second-best receiver practicing for the Trojans in spring ball, outplaying Victor Blackwell and putting himself into position to challenge George Farmer in the fall to be USC's slot receiver.

A redshirt junior, Flournoy has done almost nothing on the field since Kiffin's arrival in January 2010. But if he plays in the fall like he did in the spring, he will almost assuredly do something, whether it's as the third receiver or the fourth. His hands are reliable and his speed is enough, and he displayed a developed chemistry with quarterback Matt Barkley over the spring.

Basically, he was just good.

"I think, for a guy that really hadn't done very much here, he's been very productive," Kiffin said of Flournoy on Saturday. "Really, on special teams drills as well on offense he's done some good things."

One thing the spring also showed for USC: The Trojans may have the makings of a ridiculous receiver trio with Woods, Marqise Lee and Farmer, but there's a good chance that all three won't be able to stay healthy all season. And it's the same way with the talented tight ends -- Xavier Grimble, Randall Telfer and Junior Pomee.

So, even if it seems like Barkley already has enough targets, Flournoy's exactly the type of player the Trojans need in reserve.

Check back Tuesday for the second thing we learned, which is that this team's defensive back depth might be one of its biggest strengths.

Here are notes from Thursday's practice that won't make it into our other coverage from the session, the last official practice until August for the Trojans. Of course, USC scrimmages on Saturday at the Coliseum in the annual spring game, which starts at 1:30 p.m.

• Running back Buck Allen took the most snaps out of the backfield he has taken all spring and showed improvement as he returns from a strained right hamstring that bothered him for nearly a month. He, Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan are again the Trojans' only three scholarship running backs with Tre Madden now out for the year.

• Cornerback Brian Baucham continued his strong play toward the end of the spring with an interception on a tipped pass off a Max Wittek-to-Junior Pomee throw. Baucham has put himself into the competition for the third corner spot.

• Injury report: Receiver Victor Blackwell (foot) did not participate in practice but could return for Saturday's scrimmage, Lane Kiffin said. Kiffin also said cornerback Ryan Henderson could play Saturday. Receiver George Farmer (hamstring) did only individual work, as has been the case since the first week of the spring. It seems unlikely he will participate in the scrimmage portion of Saturday's session. Officially out for Saturday are tight end Randall Telfer (hamstring) and linebackers Dallas Kelley and Marquis Simmons.

• Among the recruits at practice were high-profile 2013 defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow, the first player to commit to the Trojans' next class, and 2015 quarterback David Sills, who was also there Tuesday. Signee Jabari Ruffin was also in attendance and spent some time with linebackers coach Scottie Hazelton after practice.

• Final notes: USC will not tackle in Saturday's scrimmage to preserve players' health over the offseason, Kiffin said. We'll have more on that on Friday. ... Tight end Christian Thomas underwent surgery this week on his ailing hip and is expected to be ready for fall camp. ...Defensive back Josh Shaw had his hardship waiver claim granted by the NCAA on Thursday and will be eligible to play for the Trojans in 2012. We'll have more on what that means for USC later.

Here are notes from Tuesday's practice that won't make it into our other posts off the session:

• The MVP of the day, coach Lane Kiffin said, was junior safety Demetrius Wright, who took the place of Jawanza Starling at first-team strong safety after lighting up the special-teams portion of practice. Wright has backed up Starling for much of the last two seasons.

• Starling, in turn, produced the play of day when he knocked back Victor Blackwell after the receiver caught a pass thrown to the middle of the field. Blackwell got sandwiched between Starling and corner Anthony Brown, really, but Starling provided the big hit.

• Strongside linebacker Dion Bailey missed practice after undergoing dental work earlier Tuesday, but he watched from the sideline. Senior Tony Burnett has been switched to linebacker from safety and took Bailey's place with the first-team defense in scrimmage drills. We'll have more on Burnett's move later in the week.

• Injury report: A few once-injured players returned to practice, including center Khaled Holmes (calf), cornerback Ryan Henderson (concussion) and fullback Soma Vainuku (back). But receiver George Farmer (hamstring) and tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe), Randall Telfer (hamstring) and Junior Pomee (foot) all stayed out, with Farmer doing individual work at the start of practice, Grimble and Telfer doing rehab activities and Pomee sitting out altogether.

• Kiffin said Pomee's right foot injury is not a re-break of the same foot he broke last August, but he said the doctors have not figured out anything else on it. Pomee, a redshirt freshman, underwent more tests Tuesday.

• Senior safety Drew McAllister was the only player to come out of practice with an injury, having complained of hip pain midway through practice. McAllister has been bothered by other nagging injuries this spring and has had serious hip problems in the past, including an injury that forced him to miss 2010 spring practice and most of the regular season.

• Final notes: Former USC receivers Patrick Turner and Damian Williams visited campus and participated in the individual portion of practice, which Kiffin said helped give the Trojans' quarterbacks more targets to throw to with so many pass-catchers sidelined. ... Sophomore J.R. Tavai worked at three-technique tackle for the first time this spring, with Kiffin saying that redshirt freshman Antwaun Woods has shown continued improvement at nose tackle. Tavai could back up both tackle spots. ... Sophomore Aundrey Walker continued to work as the left tackle with junior Kevin Graf staying on the right side.

Matt Barkley didn't attempt a single pass in the scrimmage portion of the Trojans' Saturday practice at the Coliseum, a move designed to maximize Cody Kessler and Max Wittek's opportunities in a game-like setting.

The two redshirt freshmen split snaps fairly evenly, with Wittek going first with the rest of the first-team offense and Kessler following with the second-teamers. They switched after the mid-scrimmage break.

Neither player threw a pick and both completed the majority of their passes, despite having only two scholarship receivers to work with -- and only one, De'Von Flournoy, for a good portion of the session.

They each had one noticeable mess-up: Wittek overthrew Victor Blackwell on the first play of the scrimmage in what he called a miscommunication and Kessler slipped on the wet grass when trying to hit Tre Madden on a flat that he said would have been a for-sure touchdown.

Overall, Lane Kiffin said he was pleased with both players' performance in front of several hundred fans at the Coliseum.

"I thought they did a good job, same thing running the huddle," he said. "They seemed very mature when you're around the huddle with them and with the offense so it's good to see."

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Notes from Saturday's scrimmage at the Coliseum that won't make it into our other coverage off the session:

• Quarterback Matt Barkley did not participate in the scrimmage portion of practice, giving way to backups Cody Kessler and Max Wittek. Wittek started off as the No. 1 signal-caller before the two switched at the half. We'll have more on the race to back up Barkley on Sunday.

• Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron said there are four players battling to be the third and fourth ends behind Devon Kennard and Wes Horton this season, and none of them have stepped up considerably ahead thus far. He also said Greg Townsend Jr. will no longer practice inside at tackle after he spent the first couple weeks of practice learning the new position. We'll have more on this Monday, along with an update on the running back situation with Curtis McNeal and Tre Madden.

• Injury report: Safety Drew McAllister (leg) returned after missing the latter half of Thursday's practice. Aside from that, nothing changed from Thursday's injury situation, although Kiffin did say center Khaled Holmes (calf) and fullback Soma Vainuku (back) could return Tuesday. Receiver George Farmer (hamstring) did mostly special-teams work, marking the eighth straight practice he has now missed because of the hamstring pull. Running back Buck Allen (hamstring) ran on the sideline for most of practice.

• The lone new injury: Receiver Victor Blackwell hurt his hand and his knee during practice and sat out for some of the day. Kiffin said both were "nothing big." Blackwell's absence meant walk-ons had to take on an even bigger role with only one scholarship pass-catcher available in De'Von Flournoy.

• Cornerback Torin Harris (shoulder) continues to miss practice while rehabbing and working out on the sideline. He has been out since the middle of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in the shoulder,"It was positive that he was getting better," Kiffin said. "He should be ready by camp."

• Freshman defensive end DeVante Wilson and redshirt freshman tight end Junior Pomee spent the scrimmage doing rollovers and sit-ups on the sidelines after arriving late to a 9 a.m. morning meeting, Kiffin said.

• Final notes: Receiver Marqise Lee missed the scrimmage to participate in the long jump at the Texas Relays in Austin. He finished 10th. ... An estimated 800 or 900 fans were in attendance at the Coliseum for the open scrimmage, with a couple hundred leaving once it started to rain two-thirds of the way through. ... A number of top recruits were also at the Coliseum, which we'll have more on later.

USC couldn't scrimmage last Saturday because of a lack of healthy skill-position players, and it looks as if the Trojans might be in the same boat again this week.

None of the injured offensive players' statuses have improved, and, to make matters worse, redshirt freshman tight end Junior Pomee went down because of an injured right foot midway through Thursday's practice. He was carted off the field before returning later on to watch practice from the sideline.

With Pomee and fellow tight ends Xavier Grimble, Randall Telfer and Christian Thomas all out last weekend, the Trojans were forced to use walk-on fullback Hunter Simmons as their only tight end and avoid a full-on scrimmage. If Pomee's not able to suit up Saturday, that'll be the same approach again.

"Unfortunately we can't seem to keep a tight end healthy," USC coach Lane Kiffin said after Thursday's practice. "The problem right now is the offensive skill players (being out) aren't allowing us to practice the way we'd like, but we're making the best of it."

Receiver George Farmer (hamstring) is also out, and Robert Woods (ankle) is out for all of the spring. With Marqise Lee set to be in Texas for a track meet, USC could have only two scholarship receivers available again in De'Von Flournoy and Victor Blackwell.

Asked if the Trojans will scrimmage at the Coliseum on Saturday, Kiffin said he didn't know.

"There are so many guys in question, we may just practice like we did last Saturday instead of doing a scrimmage," he said.

Here are some notes that didn't make it into our other coverage from Saturday's scrimmage, the Trojans' first visit to the Coliseum since last November's 50-0 win over UCLA:

• USC had only two scholarship receivers and tight ends available on the field Saturday because of injuries, so De'Von Flournoy and Victor Blackwell got plenty of chances to show off to the coaching staff. Coach Lane Kiffin indicated that Flournoy, now a redshirt junior, was more impressive than Blackwell. Walk-on fullback Hunter Simmons took most of the snaps at tight end with everyone else out.

• So the track Trojans got mixed up a little bit. Nickell Robey, Marqise Lee and Tony Burnett had all planned to participate in the Trojan Invitational track meet on campus, but only Lee and Burnett ended up doing it. Kiffin convinced Robey that he needed to practice special-teams skills, so the junior cornerback skipped his long-jumping event, which Lee actually won. Burnett did the long jump on campus and then tried to golf-cart over to the Coliseum so he could participate in the latter half of practice but was turned down because of NCAA regulations governing two-sport athletes.

• Defensive tackle George Uko was "dominant" on Saturday, according to Kiffin, wrapping up a big week for the redshirt sophomore. He found out two weeks ago Saturday that he had been demoted to the second team and since then he has been the best player in USC's front seven and arguably the best player on the Trojans' entire defense.

• Injury report: Tight ends Xavier Grimble (toe) and Randall Telfer (hamstring), quarterback Jesse Scroggins (hip), running back Buck Allen (hamstring), center Khaled Holmes (calf) and receiver George Farmer (hamstring) all missed practice, and linebacker Dion Bailey (hamstring) missed almost all of it. Fullback Soma Vainuku hurt his back in individual drills and missed all of the scrimmage portion of the day.

• Final notes: USC resumes practice on Tuesday at Howard Jones Field. ... As Kiffin said he would, Matt Barkley did limited work and backups Cody Kessler and Max Wittek took the majority of snaps. ... Robey, D.J. Morgan and Curtis McNeal all practiced punt returning during individual drills.

USC is out on spring break this week and not practicing, but each weekday through Friday, we’ll bring you one thing we learned from the first three days of practice last week and what it might mean for the future.

Our first item covered Marqise Lee‘s continued progress, our second the new-look Aundrey Walker and third the situation at backup QB. Fourth covered the interior of the defensive line.

Fifth is this: George Farmer's biggest challenge for the No. 3 receiver spot is probably going to be staying healthy.

You can't have a better first day of spring practice than Farmer a week ago Tuesday, the Trojans' first day of 2012 spring. He caught everything thrown in his direction, including the tough throws, and earned himself the day MVP award from Lane Kiffin afterward.

But then he got hurt. The next day, Farmer came up lame during a drill and pulled his hamstring. It kept him out of the rest of the week's proceedings and could keep him from being 100 percent for the next couple practices.

And the truth is that's the sophomore receiver's biggest battle at this point. Victor Blackwell will provide competition, but Farmer has the talent and, now, the maturity to be the Trojans' No. 3 pass-catcher. What will set him back is injuries like this one, the same sort of thing that limited him at running back last year during the experiment that moved him there.

What can he do? Obviously a hamstring injury is natural, and so is a sprained ankle, which he sustained early on last season. Things like that happen. But what he can do is learn from his own mistakes and the mistakes of Kyle Prater and even Robert Woods and not try to push himself back too early. If he has to miss two weeks in the spring, then so be it. Missing two weeks in the spring is far better than being even slightly limited for two months.

And that's what happened last year with his ankle injury. He had to exit practice at least four times over the first seven weeks of the season with an ankle issue, and then it culminated before the Stanford game when he had to get carted off the field and then missed the next three games.

We may not have realized it right away, but Farmer is the clear favorite to be the No. 3. He's the best athlete among the competitors and he has the most big-play potential, which the Trojan coaches have always emphasized over the past two years. But if this hamstring injury stays a nagging injury or something else comes along, Blackwell could be the guy too.

It looks like Farmer's job to lose. The hope is that outside forces don't cause him to lose it.

Practice coverage resumes Tuesday.

Since last season ended, we've looked at the top 10 performers from last year, the top 10 moments and the top five questions for the new year.

And, lately, we've done previews for every position group at USC: quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties and special teams.

Now, with spring practice officially beginning for the Trojans on Tuesday at 4 p.m., let's take a look at five remaining questions for the month-long spring session.

1. Can Matt Barkley keep improving?

After his first two seasons at USC, there were clear areas where quarterback Matt Barkley could improve his game.

At the end of his freshman year, he had to cut down on his interceptions, among other things. At the end of his sophomore year, he had to develop a more consistent throw downfield -- again, among other things.

But this year? Barkley's stats were flat-out fantastic in 2011, easily reaching two of the three goals coach Lane Kiffin set for him and coming very close to the other.

The three: connect on 30 or more touchdowns, throw 10 or fewer interceptions and achieve a 70 percent completion percentage. He threw for 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a completion percentage of 69.1.

Sure, the one he didn't meet is a good carry-over goal for 2012. But what else can he even do?

We should find out this spring.

2. Will alternative ball-carrying sources emerge?

It's not as if this topic hasn't yet been broached -- on this blog and others. But it's still worthy of examination. Who is the Trojans' No. 3 ball carrier going to be behind Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan?

Amir Carlisle's transfer in January made this an issue. But fullback Soma Vainuku might be an option for a couple of carries a game, and so might Jahleel Pinner when he gets to USC in the summer.

One last possibility: A player from another position could always be moved -- temporarily or for good. The Trojans just fixed some depth issues at defensive tackle by moving Cody Temple there from the offensive line.

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Victor Blackwell came into school at USC last summer expecting to play right away, expecting to compete against George Farmer and others for a starting spot across from Robert Woods.

But, he says now, the coaches had other plans for him. And, he also admits, he wasn't quite ready for it either.

And, now that he has a half-year in the program under his belt, having redshirted the 2011 season, Blackwell says he's finally ready to do what he planned to some six months ago: seriously compete for playing time.

Judging from the winter throwing sessions that began last month, he's in perfect position to do that. The 19-year-old Blackwell might just end up being the favorite for the No. 3 receiving spot behind Woods and Marqise Lee by the time fall camp comes around this August, if not sooner.

With Woods out and Lee arriving late to most sessions because of track practice, Blackwell has been the most consistently impressive receiver on the field, catching balls from his high-school teammate, quarterback Matt Barkley, and other signal-callers.

Farmer, now back at receiver after a brief test at running back, will provide competition. And De'Von Flournoy is a veteran presence. But Blackwell has the hands, body control and overall skill level to win the spot.

"I think they're confident in me," he said Tuesday, after the fifth throwing session of the winter, cut a bit short by rain in Los Angeles. "I think it's more of a willpower thing now, more of a will-I-do-it thing now.

"It's all on my shoulders."

Blackwell had too much on his shoulders as a first-year freshman in 2011, he said. Even as a redshirt, he found his course load at times overwhelming, and he had never found the time to commit the playbook to memory. He routinely shined in practices all fall when executing the plays he did know and understand, but he also struggled on occasion, running the wrong routes and frustrating his coaches.

"It was a different transition between high school and college," Blackwell said about that part of the process. "A lot of growing up I had to do that I just don't think I was ready for, so I struggled. But it's not anything I can't handle anymore."

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Former Florida defensive back Josh Shaw was a hotly-recruited prospect out of Palmdale High in the Class of 2010 and chose the Gators over the Trojans. After sitting out his first season because of a knee injury but playing considerable snaps this past year, the 6-2, 195-pounder decided to transfer closer to his home in nearby Palmdale because of health issues within his family.

He considered UCLA but chose the Trojans earlier this month and quickly enrolled in school and began participating in team strength-training workouts. Shaw has been an active participant in the unofficial players-only throwing sessions that took place Tuesday and Thursday of this week, lining up at corner and defending receivers like Marqise Lee and Victor Blackwell in one-on-one situations.

ESPNLosAngeles.com caught up with him after Thursday’s throwing session.

Question: You’ve been here for two weeks. How do you feel? Can you see yourself being comfortable here?

Answer: I’m just out here trying to get my feet wet. I really haven’t lined up at corner in about a year, so I’m just out here trying to get my feet wet. I feel pretty comfortable though, especially with an All-American back there in T.J. (McDonald), my roommate, who can navigate me through everything. It’s a start.

Did you come here to play corner? You’d be one of the bigger corners in college football.

The coaches know I can play both. They know I can play safety and they know I can play corner also. But I would rather play corner, definitely.

Why?

I just like what I can bring to the team. I’d bring another physical corner over there with Nickell (Robey) on the other side. He’s a physical guy himself, short and all but with so much heart. I can bring another physical presence to the perimeter over there.

Have you seen another college corner like Nickell? He seems pretty unique.

I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s the real deal. I’ve heard about him back in Florida, but seeing him out here on Thursday -- man, he’s the real deal. Also I got with him and told him, ‘Show me the ropes. You’ve started here for two years. Show me the ropes and I’ll follow them.’

Do you think you’d have an easier chance to play early at corner or safety?

Really both. Whatever the team needs, to be honest. Because I know I can do both. And my confidence level is pretty high right now. You know, at Florida we didn’t do 7-on-7 like this. So with me doing this right now, it’s giving me a lot of good prep for spring ball, I feel like.

On that note, how important is it for you to be able to participate in spring practice? You can practice regardless of whether or not your hardship waiver is granted, but it would obviously change the focus a lot.

Once the NCAA rules, if it’s granted or it’s not, then the coaches will have a better idea what to do with me. Right now, of course, I’m ineligible because there hasn’t been a ruling yet. And if I am declared eligible then they can mess with me out there in the spring.

Do you feel sort of weird about the whole waiver process? You know, putting your fate in someone else’s hands and all.

I have no control over it at all, and this is the first time in my life I’ve been in this type of situation, coming from playing last year to maybe sitting out right now. I’m not taking anything for granted, man. I’m out here getting older and I realize that. I’m training myself as if I am going to be able to play. I have a good case. I came home for a reason.

Reports on this have varied from definitely-going to not-close-at-all. What’s the truth -- how close were you to going to UCLA after you decided to transfer from Florida?

I was pretty close to going to UCLA. But after weighing all my options, me and my family, we decided it was best for me to come home. I always felt like USC was home. If there was one place that was home, it was this place. I grew up watching 'SC football. That being said though, I think I’ll be the first player from my high school to come here to USC, which is pretty cool.

So, you’ll now have spent time at two of the biggest athletic schools in the country. Compare them a bit. What’s Florida like?

Man, basketball’s pretty big at UF. I’ve heard the team is not too good here. But I’ll check it out one time when they play a big team. And, honestly, down there, they live and die with football. I got to see some of the best atmospheres all around in college football in LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina. You see it all. I haven’t played in the Pac-12 yet, so I don’t know. But, rooming with T.J., he tells me that when they played at Oregon it was crazy and everything, so I’m looking forward it.

So there’s now four kids with Florida ties on the team: You, Nickell, running back Javorious Allen and safety Jawanza Starling. It’s kind of funny that three of you are defensive backs, no?

Yep, Jawanza. It’s his last year out here and he knows the defense too. All I’m trying to do right now is receive. Keep my mouth shut, work hard and earn some respect from the guys. But this was a good decision for me, coming in, because I know a lot of the guys. As a transfer, you want to go somewhere where you’re comfortable. And I’m definitely comfortable here.

Two main stories out of the sixth day of fall camp Tuesday: with Demetrius Wright out with a hip pointer, safety Jawanza Starling impressed coach Lane Kiffin for the second straight day and freshman Aundrey Walker moved from right tackle to right guard, where it seems he could start the season opener.

Looking back at Barkley

A hot topic of conversation Tuesday, as it often is, was Barkley's most recent performance -- in this case the Trojans' first scrimmage of the fall, held at the Coliseum Monday.

Asked about it after Tuesday's practice, Kiffin reiterated what he said immediately after the scrimmage Monday: it was just OK, in his eyes.

“There were some things he could have done better, some decision-making,” Kiffin said. “He’s got to continue to run the offense and not try to do too much."

The coach was then asked to clarify what he meant by trying to do too much. Was he, in other words, thinking too much on the field and not letting his instincts guide him into making the right throw?

"I don’t think he’s thinking too much, I just think he tries too hard," Kiffin said. "Sometimes you just get in the moment and you’ve done these plays so many times and you just kinda get bored of completions sometimes, in that setting. In a game you hope that wouldn’t happen.

"And you have to try to keep him out of that.”

For his part, Barkley agreed with Kiffin, saying that he was at times bored with Monday's offense -- although he stopped short of saying he forced any passes on the Coliseum turf, as Kiffin had said earlier.

"It's true, it's true," Barkley said about it being boring. "And we were still pretty limited last night with the playcalling. I was just trying to not be creative but do a little more, rather than just be happy with what the defense gave me."

Highlights

Two freshmen connected on an 65- or 70-yard strike during team drills: quarterback Cody Kessler and receiver Victor Blackwell. Redshirt freshman Kyle Prater caught back-to-back passes from Barkley at one point, including one impressive leaping grab on the sidelines.

Walk-on Will Andrew had the only interception of practice when he picked off freshman Max Wittek. Running backs Curtis McNeal and Dillon Baxter each broke off a few long runs.

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USC receivers coach Ted Gilmore feels comfortable enough through four days of fall camp, he says, to use the word "potential" to describe his unit this season.

"A lot of potential," Gilmore says, first with a little emphasis and then with quite a bit. "A lot of potential."

They do have a lot of potential. They've also got a lot of newcomers, or players who are working with Gilmore for the first time, or players who are just flat-out inexperienced.

Evidence: Five of the Trojans' nine scholarship receivers haven't caught a pass in college. One of the others -- Markeith Ambles -- has caught just one, and he's not even in camp yet. Two of the others -- Brandon Carswell and Brice Butler -- have caught a combined 51 in five full seasons. And the last one is Robert Woods, who, for all of his freshman-year greatness is still just a sophomore with six receiving touchdowns under his belt.

It might be the pass-catching unit with the biggest inverse relationship between talent and experience in the country. So, yes, the word "potential" fits.

"The feeling I’m getting is that, if we work hard as a unit, we can be pretty good," Gilmore said Sunday, after the Trojans' fourth practice of fall camp. "I like what they represent. They’re all ‘we’ guys.

"With all the success that they’ve had, you’d think there be big-time egos and everything, but I don’t get that feeling."

Gilmore wasn't on campus a year ago, but, according to those who were, he would've had that feeling then. A similarly talented receiving unit in 2010 was hamstrung by what players admit now was a lack of togetherness.

“Nobody was on the same page," Carswell said Sunday. "People were older and younger and wanted to do different things."

But they say this year has been better, so far at least. The older, more experienced players -- Woods, Carswell and Butler -- have taken the younger players under their wings early on in fall camp, both indoors and out. Carswell said he's had all three of the freshmen -- George Farmer, Victor Blackwell and Marqise Lee -- approach him during 7-on-7 drills on Howard Jones Field and ask him for clarification on a specific route or playcall. Butler said last week he's been sitting with the freshmen during play-install sessions in Heritage Hall and helping to simplify the process for them.

Gilmore reports that it's working, to a certain extent.

"All three of them are talented kids -- every one of them. Otherwise they wouldn’t be here," Gilmore said. "Are they swimming a little bit? At times. All the installs and things are starting to run together a little bit, but they’ve all got a bright eye to learn, are all eager and are all very competitive, which is a good thing to see.

"They’re gonna be good players.”

In Farmer, USC has what some have described as a just-as-intelligent, bigger version of Woods. Blackwell and Lee may need to sit out a year for balancing purposes but could contribute in a number of ways, even as freshmen. Redshirt freshman Kyle Prater, at 6-5, is a natural red zone target. Ambles is as agile as they come. Redshirt sophomore De'Von Flournoy and Carswell, a senior, have playbook knowledge and steady hands. Butler's speedy and gaining confidence running through the middle of the field. Woods is a true 1,000-yard threat.

USC has a receiver of every prototype, essentially. The question is whether they'll be able to work together as well as they have in the first four days of fall camp until December.

“We have speed, we have size, and we have people that are ready to play their roles," Carswell said. "I don’t think there’s anybody that’s trying to step outside and be that big guy, and that creates a family atmosphere within the whole offense.”

“When we’re clicking, I really feel like nobody can stop us.”

The answer, one of the more meaningful Lane Kiffin's provided in his first year and a half at USC, came in response to an innocuous question on the likelihood that freshman phenom George Farmer would be able to get on the field at receiver right away in 2011.

"That position's starting to get really deep," Kiffin said by way of explaining why Farmer may not be able to do what some expect of him. "I think our young skilled guys on offense are starting to look like what they used to here.

"Now we've gotta continue to do that for two more years and that's when you get back to what you saw before."

Those are big, powerful words from the Trojans' second-year coach, making reference to guys like Reggie Bush, Dwayne Jarrett and Mike Williams. In the past, he typically used big, powerful words only when discussing a dire issue with USC's depth or some other negative-sounding matter.

Not anymore. He's more positive now. But it's fairly easy to be positive when you add five receivers into the mix in the fall, all of whom weren't able to participate in spring practice.

In pass-catchers Brice Butler, Kyle Prater, George Farmer, Marqise Lee and Victor Blackwell, Kiffin has just that -- an infusion of young talent across the board on offense. Butler missed the spring while contemplating a transfer; Prater was recovering from a broken foot. The other three, incoming freshmen, just arrived on campus over the summer.

Said Kiffin: "That’s like adding three rookies and two free agents that already know our system."

There's also running back Amir Carlisle, a 5-10, 180-pound freshman who has been the surprise of camp thus far, darting through the defense on a number of occasions both Thursday and Friday. He's had his not-so-good moments, too, running laps for fumbling and whatnot, but, in general, he's been very impressive.

"Amir Carlisle flashed again today," Kiffin said Friday. "That’s great to see. It’s a position that you always want depth at and he’s a great kid, a 4.0 student very serious about being a student-athlete.

"We’re excited to have him and excited to see his approach to the game too."

Other young skill position players include freshmen quarterbacks Cody Kessler, Max Wittek and Jesse Scroggins. All three have been in the program for at least a semester now, Scroggins for two. Tallahassee, Fla. running back Javorious 'Buck' Allen is also expected to arrive on campus soon, at which point he could take some carries away from Carlisle.

But the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are indeed a positive at this point, with the young players restocking units that had been low on depth earlier in the Kiffin regime. There are still similar issues at other positions on the field, but, at arguably the most important spots on the field (0r the most exciting, at least), USC shouldn't have many problems.

And Kiffin is, well, happy about it.

"You feel better, because there were so many times in the spring where, as much as you tried to stay positive, it was discouraging," he said Friday.

There are five Mondays left until spring practice officially kicks off for USC on March 22. On each of those Mondays, we'll preview one-sixth of the Trojans' depth chart and eye potential risers and fallers during the month-long springtime. We began last week with quarterbacks and running backs; this week, receivers and tight ends.


Flanker

1. Robert Woods, sophomore
2. De'Von Flournoy, redshirt sophomore
3. Victor Blackwell, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Woods is the clear starter here and a bona fide All-Conference player heading into his sophomore season in 2011. He'll be asked to lead a not-so-deep pack of receivers in spring practice as the Trojans attempt to compensate for an injury to redshirt freshman Kyle Prater and redshirt junior Brice Butler's decision to transfer at the end of the semester.

Prater could be back midway through the spring and, at that point, would probably be in competition with Carswell for the starting spot across from Woods. Flournoy is a bit of an odd case -- he played sparingly as a true freshman and then redshirted as a sophomore, sitting out last season. When healthy, he's an interesting player and a good option to be Woods' backup as the two share similar measurables. The difference between the two, at this point, is Woods' route-running and hands, which are each the best on the roster.

Split end


1. Brandon Carswell, redshirt senior
2a. Markeith Ambles, sophomore
2b. George Farmer, freshman (won't enroll until fall)
4. Marqise Lee, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Prater may indeed end up slated on top of these four when he returns to the field, but for the time being we'll operate as if Carswell has a legitimate chance to win that starting spot -- and it appears he does, as a serviceable pass-catcher who does many of the little things well. Coach Lane Kiffin begged Carswell to stay when he was set on transferring to Cincinnati last summer, so placing him in a starting role would make for a nice story.

The battle between Ambles and Farmer could be interesting, although it won't kick off until the fall. Both players obviously have the talent to start here in the future, but there are other factors at play with Ambles -- discipline, namely. He didn't finish out the 2010 season with the Trojans after leaving the team in November. Farmer's character and attitude reminds many of Woods' at this point last year, so it's not too hard to conjure up a situation where he beats out Prater, Carswell and Ambles to start the season opener against Minnesota in September.

Tight end


1. Rhett Ellison, senior
2. Christian Thomas, sophomore
3a. Xavier Grimble, redshirt freshman
3b. Randall Telfer, redshirt freshman
5. Junior Pomee, freshman (won't enroll until fall)

Ellison's the clear-cut starter, and a perfect example of a two- or three-star recruit developing into an important piece for the Trojans. He's been switched between fullback and tight end some while at USC, but he's a pretty good bet to stay here for the rest of his career.

In our eyes, Thomas has a leg up on the two other tight ends he came in with in Grimble and Telfer because of his special-teams experience as a true freshman, but that could change quickly. All three players are impressive physical specimen, and it's fairly likely at least one of three will get a look at another position -- defensive end for Thomas, offensive line for Grimble -- at some point in the spring. Grimble, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound prospect who is only growing, may soon outgrow tight end.

Pomee's a likely redshirt candidate.

That's it for this Monday. We'll be back a week from today with a look at the offensive and defensive linemen.